


songs take flight: those who sing revel in it

by cute_lil_fluff



Series: ot4 pu: junnie [5]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 09:39:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17423450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cute_lil_fluff/pseuds/cute_lil_fluff
Summary: “Hey, where are you going buddy?” Seungcheol asks, gently brushing Minghao’s hair from his face. “What’s going on?” Minghao is panting heavily, each breath pushing the hands Seungcheol has pressed against his rib-cage. He looks so out of it.





	songs take flight: those who sing revel in it

Junhui watches Minghao stumble in the mirror like it’s happening in slow motion. His legs are moving before the next beat of music has passed, darting across the room towards his boyfriend. Seungcheol gets to him first, though, catching Minghao around the waist and holding him upright, his back pinned against Seungcheol’s chest.

Minghao falls against him, eyes glazed over. His head is tilted to the side, lolling onto his own shoulder, like he hasn’t the strength in his neck to hold the weight of his skull. He’s trembling- although it’s barely visible to the untrained eye, Junhui is fully attuned in everything Minghao does, notices every little change. The others are half-convinced they can read each other’s minds.

“Hey, where are you going buddy?” Seungcheol asks, gently brushing Minghao’s hair from his face. “What’s going on?” Minghao is panting heavily, each breath pushing the hands Seungcheol has pressed against his rib-cage. He looks so out of it.

Junhui stays a few steps away from them, not wanting to crowd Minghao, but his hands are itching to reach out and steal him from Seungcheol’s arms. He doesn’t realise that he’s tangled his fingers up painfully in the hem of his T-shirt until Soonyoung appears next to him. He tugs at Jun’s wrists to free his hands, lacing their fingers together instead.

“Nothing. I just got a bit dizzy. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Minghao manages to say, but it’s obvious that he’s lying- words slurred, sentences broken. Even as he’s trying to convince everyone that nothing’s wrong, his knees are growing weaker, almost knocking together. There’s no doubt that he’d be on the floor right now if it weren’t for Seungcheol propping him up.

Junhui watches him carefully from afar, frowning at the fist Minghao has pressed against the sign of his neck. Has he pulled a muscle? Is his back hurting? He’s blinking too much, obviously trying to clear his vision, but his face is scrunched up in discomfort. Has he got a headache? Has he been drinking his water?

“No, Hao. You’re not okay.” Seungcheol disputes, his voice taking on that familiar, stern tone he uses when he’s being serious- his ‘leader voice,’ as Jun has labelled it in his head. Minghao sighs, knowing that there's no arguing now. “Let’s get you home. You’re exhausted, you need some rest.” Junhui bristles a little at Seungcheol’s diagnosis, not entirely convinced that exhaustion is the only thing wrong with Minghao right now. There’s no way he’d stop Seungcheol from sending him for a nap, though, Minghao definitely deserves a lie-down.

Junhui finally steps forward to hold Minghao so that Seungcheol can search for their phones and keys. Minghao melts against him immediately, head tucking into the space beneath the elder’s chin. Jun holds him as close as is physically possible, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He feels better with Minghao in his arms, knowing that he’s safe, even if he’s not feeling well.

Jun can feel Minghao’s pulse against his collarbone, and that’s enough for now.

Junhui can’t help but get anxious when one of his boys is ill, especially when they hide it from him- when he only finds out because they can’t hide it anymore. He just wants to know that they’re safe at all times, and having Minghao in his arms helps to reassure him, just a little.

“You should have said something, Hao-Hao. We’ve talked about this.” Junhui scolds, but his voice is soft, words mumbled into the curls of Minghao’s hair.

They have talked about this: Minghao's insistence to keep everything to himself. Junhui's guilty of doing it as well, but his need for comfort when he's upset or ill is far stronger than his pride. Minghao, though, feels so responsible for taking care of the others that he persistently refuses to admit when he's not well. To say he's so concerned about his health, he can be a real big idiot sometimes.

Minghao doesn’t respond- he’s obviously still feeling stubborn. Junhui will let him, though, he’s not well. Minghao is content to huddle close to Jun’s warm body until Seungcheol comes back over to them, and Jun is in no position to stop him from clinging.

“Come here then, Hao,” Seungcheol instructs, wrapping an arm around Minghao’s shoulders. Minghao steps away from Jun, freeing him up to get his own stuff. He goes to do just that until Seungcheol’s voice stops him in his tracks. “I’ll take him, Junhui. Soonyoung, hold down the fort for me?”

Junhui literally gapes, feet moving to follow them when Seungcheol guides Minghao from the room, both hands reaching out to pull Minghao back. Soonyoung stops him. “But- wait-” Junhui stutters as Seungcheol and Minghao disappear around the corner. Soonyoung turns him, shushes him, a comforting hand between his shoulder blades.

Jun’s jaw is hanging open, his eyes wide. A million thoughts start swirling around in his head now that Minghao’s out of his sight, every possible scenario making him feel sick with worry. “He’ll be fine, Junhui. Seungcheol has him.” Soonyoung says with a sense of finality in his voice. Junhui looks at him desperately, tears building up beneath his lashes.

"But what if he's not?" Junhui asks in a small, airy voice. "What if he's not fine? I need to-"

“He will be,” Soonyoung says, but he already knows that just saying it will do nothing to quell Junhui’s worries. But it’s all he can do right now. With a sad sigh, Soonyoung runs his thumb along Jun’s lower lip, pulling it from between his teeth.

He doesn’t know what to say, because he has the exact same urge to run after them, to wrap Minghao up in his arms and take care of him. But he also knows that they should listen to their leader.

Junhui must understand what is going through his head, as just by the look on his face Soonyoung convinces Junhui to relent. He shrinks where he stands, lowering his head as he gives in. He nods gently before stepping away, quickly getting back into position to start the dance again. Everyone else follows, but they’re all slightly stunned by the events of the last few minutes, and the tears dribbling down Jun’s cheeks.

Guilt punches Soonyoung in the gut.

Junhui only lasts half an hour before he’s crowding up to Soonyoung again, far more worked up than he was before. “I need to go- I can’t- I need to know that he’s okay, or not okay, or- I just need to be with him, please.” He’s basically begging, shaky hands on either side of Soonyoung’s neck, cheeks damp.

Soonyoung pulls him into a hug, humming against the top of his head, hoping to calm him a little. He knows how much Junhui worries about these things, about them, but he really doesn’t want him to panic. It’ll only make him feel worse. He squeezes the elder tightly until he relaxes, taking pointedly deep breaths to settle himself down. Soonyoung kisses the side of his head gratefully.

“Okay. Go make sure he’s alright.” Soonyoung tells him, pulling back to glance at Jun’s face, which lights up adorably. Junhui presses their lips together, kissing him as a thank you. “I love you. Stay safe.” Soonyoung says as Jun is grabbing his phone and rushing towards the door.

He stops when he’s halfway out of the room. "Thank you. Love you too." Junhui responds before he leaves, practically running the entire way back to the dorms in spite of his tired legs.

 

*

 

Seungcheol's in the kitchen when Junhui gets back, hovering over the stove as something boils- probably ramen, knowing the extent of their leader's cooking skills. He doesn't look the slightest bit surprised to see Junhui flushed and panting in the doorway. "He's asleep," Seungcheol tells him, nodding towards the bedrooms. Junhui thanks him.

He's next to Minghao in an instant, falling to his knees beside their bed. Minghao’s eyes are closed, but Junhui can tell by the pull of his lips alone that he's not actually asleep. He lays one hand over one of Minghao's, folded up on the pillow next to his face, stroking across the dips of his knuckles. With his other hand, Junhui's cups Minghao's jaw and drags his thumb across the soft skin of his cheek, frowning at how warm he feels.

Minghao blinks his eyes open, but only slightly- he looks so groggy. Junhui kisses the gap between his eyebrows. "I'm here, Hao-Hao. I've got you. Can you tell me what's wrong? What hurts?" Minghao just watches him for a moment, tired brain sorting through his questions before he whispers an answer.

"My head. My ear."

"This one?" Junhui asks, brushing his fingers over the shell of the ear that Minghao isn't laying on. The younger nods, although it's barely a twitch of his neck- Jun notices it anyway. "Okay. I'll get something for it after Seungcheol brings you dinner, alright?"

_It was ramen_. Seungcheol brings in the bowl and a pair of chopsticks just a few minutes later, watching on fondly as Junhui insists on feeding Minghao every bite. "You need me to do anything?" Seungcheol asks when the bowl is empty. He does want to help, but he knows how protective Junhui can get, and he doesn't want to be a nuisance.

"Could you sit with him whilst I go get some stuff? He'll probably need some water as well." Junhui says, giving Seungcheol a small, grateful smile when he quickly agrees, perching on the mattress beside Minghao and grabbing the water bottle from his bedside table.

Junhui heads towards the nearest bathroom and soaks two flannels in the sink, one under the hot tap, the other under the cold. He digs out a couple of painkillers from the cupboard above the toilet and a dry towel from the rack before taking his supplies back to their bedroom. Seungcheol leaves them be when he returns, making Jun promise to yell for him if they need anything.

"Can you lift your head for me, baby?" Junhui asks Minghao, slipping one hand beneath his neck to support him. He spreads the towel over Minghao's pillow, as to not have Minghao lying on a soggy pillowcase when it inevitably gets dripped on. After he's taken the medicine, the cold compress goes on his forehead and the warm on the part of his jaw and neck just below his aching ear. He doesn't want to put it right on his ear, for fear of filling him with water.

He really doesn’t want to drown his boyfriend.

Minghao lets his eyes slip shut again, a small smile on his lips. "Better?" Minghao hums in response. Junhui takes his hand again, fingers lacing together. "Has it been hurting all day?" Junhui asks, hoping to get some answers out of the younger before he falls asleep. He’s frustrated with himself that he didn't notice. He could tell that Minghao was tired, but he thought that was all it was, he didn’t realise he was in pain.

"Yeah. It got really bad during practice, with the music and everything." Junhui nods reassuringly, even though Minghao's isn't watching. Jun presses a kiss to the inside of his wrist as well, for good measure. "My ears were ringing so badly."

"Hopefully it will be gone by the time you wake up," Junhui says, and he really is hoping. He just wants his boy to be better again, he doesn't like seeing him all broken and vulnerable like this. Minghao's so strong, he likes being strong.

Junhui’s the complete opposite- he likes being mollycoddled and babied. There are times when he doesn’t even mind being sick because it means extra attention from his favourite people, more cuddles and kisses, sweet words whispered into his hair.

Minghao hums again. "As long as you take care of me." He squeezes Jun's hand a couple of times.

"Of course. I'm staying here all night. As long as you need me." Junhui responds, laying his head down on the mattress, content to watch Minghao's face relax as he drifts off. "Sweet dreams." He whispers, even though Minghao won't have heard him.

Junhui changes the flannels twice, and he repositions the blankets periodically, depending on whether Minghao is shivering or sweating at that particular moment as his temperature fluctuates. He presses endless kisses against the back of Minghao's hand and doesn't close his eyes once.

It had been around four o'clock when he'd left the studio, so he must have been sat on the floor for nearly five hours when the others get home.

Junhui hears them before he sees them, although they're making significantly less noise than usual- they're probably doing it for Minghao's sake. Junhui thanks them in his head. There's a gentle knock on the door a few moments later before Jeonghan pokes his head in. "How is he?" He asks, wincing sympathetically when he glances at Minghao.

He's fast asleep, but he definitely doesn't look peaceful. He's all tensed up and sweaty, his neck twitching every now and again, as though he's having a bad dream. Junhui keeps having to readjust the flannel when they move around as he does. "I'm not sure. He has an earache- I'm hoping he'll sleep it off." Junhui tells him as Jeonghan steps into the room.

"I'll take a shift. You should go eat dinner- we got take out." Jeonghan says, kneeling down by Junhui's side to take his place.

"No, that's alright. You eat. I said I'd stay here, so-" Jeonghan lifts a hand to brush the longest pieces of Jun's hair behind his ear. He tilts his head to the side, watching Jun fondly. “I promised.”

"You're so good to him." Jeonghan whispers and Jun can feel himself blushing. "But you do need to eat. I've already had mine, you can come right back here once you've had yours, okay? We're a team, you don't have to sacrifice yourself to look after him. Minghao would say the same thing if he was awake and you know it." Junhui nods reluctantly, accepting a quick hug before kissing the top of Minghao's head and leaving for the kitchen.

He's not even halfway through his dinner when Junhui hears the bedroom door open and someone stumbles out into the hallway. "This way, Hao. Come on, it's alright." He hears Jeonghan say, and he's immediately rushing towards their voices. By the time he gets to them, Minghao is already throwing up his lunch into the toilet.

Jeonghan is kneeled down next to him, rubbing circles into his back. His free hand is cradling Minghao's forehead so that he doesn't fall forward and brain himself on the porcelain. "It's alright, little one. Get it all out. I know, it's not nice. But it's okay, we're okay." Jeonghan is mumbling. Minghao just shivers and coughs, fingers white where he's gripping onto the toilet seat.

Junhui takes up Minghao's other side, laying a hand over the back of his neck. "Oh, Hao-Hao. We've got you, baby, it's okay." Junhui says. Minghao immediately reacts to his voice, a shaky hand leaving the toilet seat to grasp at Jun's thigh. "I'm here. I've got you." Jun mumbles, leaning down to kiss his cheek, lips pressing against any clean patch of skin they can find. He's not bothered by the germs- Minghao needs comfort and Jun is going to give it to him.

By the time he's got everything up, Minghao is nothing more than a shivering wreck. He coughs a few more times, lifting a hand to wipe at his mouth. Jeonghan intercepts him with a bundle of toilet roll, mopping his face for him. When he's decently clean, Junhui pulls him to lie across his lap, head cushioned in the crook of Jun's elbow.

"This isn't good," Jun whispers to Jeonghan over Minghao's sleepy head, and Jeonghan grimaces in agreement. He’s antsy, flushing the toilet and cleaning the seat just for something to do with his hands.

"We'll just have to keep an eye on him," Jeonghan replies, reaching out to comb through Minghao's sweaty hair. He frowns at the heat under his fingertips. "Keep an eye on that temperature as well." Jeonghan roots through the cupboard under the sink for a thermometer, Junhui carefully manoeuvring Minghao so that they can stick it under his tongue.

"38.5." Jeonghan reads when it beeps, glancing at Jun, obviously worried.

"When do we need to take him to A&E?" Jun asks, turning his head back to Minghao who's squirming in his lap, uncomfortable lying on his back. Junhui repositions him so that he's curled up again, face pressed against his stomach. Minghao breathes in the familiar scent clinging to Jun's clothes.

"39.5 ... 40." Junhui lets out a breath of air. This feels so much more serious now- he thought it was just a headache. His heart is jack-rabbiting in his chest. He pulls Minghao a little closer. "Let's get him back into bed and check it again in half an hour, okay? Then we'll figure out what to do." Junhui nods, but he doesn't feel much better for it.

They get him back to bed with a bucket on the floor next to him and Junhui curled up around his back. He probably shouldn't be cuddled so close because Minghao is already warm enough, but he feels like if they're separated for even a second his anxiety will skyrocket. He keeps his nose pressed against the nape of Minghao's neck, both hands tucked under his T-shirt to stroke over his stomach.

After everyone else has gone to their bedrooms, Jeonghan and Seungcheol take the other bed in the performance room for the night so that they can be on hand to help Minghao. Soonyoung and Chan drop in to check on Minghao, and they try not to let it show, but Junhui can tell that they're scared.

Minghao rarely ever gets sick, let alone _this sick_. Sure, he gets a cold from time to time, as everyone does, but he's never really been debilitated like this since they've met him. He takes care of his health so well, this is so unexpected. It just makes them think the worst, which is never a good thing to do.

 

*

 

Neither Jeonghan or Junhui fall asleep, and they get up every twenty minutes to check Minghao's temperature, which is steadily rising. By three in the morning, it hits 39.7 and the pair eye each other fearfully from either side of the bed. Without speaking, Jeonghan shakes Seungcheol awake- just the look on Jeonghan's face gets him out of bed and he leaves the bedroom to call for their manager. Jeonghan and Junhui work on getting Minghao up and dressed, pulling a pair of sweatpants onto his legs and a hoodie over his T-shirt.

"How do you feel?" Junhui asks, voice soft but shaky. Minghao doesn't say anything- he's only half-awake and doesn't really know what's going on. He can barely understand what Jun's saying. Jun kisses the round tip of his nose.

Seungcheol joins them again once he's off the phone, letting them know that the manager will be there in ten minutes to take Minghao to the hospital. Junhui stays clinging to his boyfriend's side, foreheads pressed together. Junhui's heart clenches when he spots the tears in his eyes.

"It's okay, baby. It's all going to be okay. We'll get you some help, alright? It's all okay." Junhui tries to reassure him, but it can't be working very much because he's all choked up as well. Junhui resents the hand Jeonghan squeezes around his shoulder- they should be comforting Minghao right now, he's _scared_.

Jeonghan opens the door for the manager; Seungcheol and Junhui carry Minghao into the living room, his head lolling to the side. "How long has he been like this?" Their manager asks, taking one of the trainers from Jeonghan and tugging it onto one of Minghao's feet. His face is tense with worry. Junhui's not surprised- Minghao looks _bad_.

"He left dance practice earlier because he nearly fainted, but he said his ears been hurting him all day. He threw up a couple of hours ago." Junhui says, voice a pitch higher now that tears are rolling down his cheeks. He doesn't bother wiping them away, his hands too busy fretting over Minghao, rubbing his tummy and stroking his hair.

"Okay." Their manager responds. "I don't want you boys to worry. Get some sleep, get to practice tomorrow- I'll keep you updated on the situation. Alright?" Jeonghan and Seungcheol nod, but Junhui just frowns. He's making it sound like, even though Minghao is ill enough to go to the _hospital_ , life should just continue as normal. He's acting as though this isn't the _biggest deal_.

Their manager reaches his arms out to take Minghao from Junhui. _Why do they keep taking Minghao from him?_ Junhui doesn't move until the manager asks him what's wrong. "What are you doing?" He asks. He tries not to sound rude, but he's tired and scared and anxious.

"I'm going to take Minghao to the hospital." Their manager responds like it's obvious. But it’s not obvious. It’s very much _not obvious_.

"I can hold him." Junhui's arms tighten around Minghao.

"You're not going, Junhui-yah," Jeonghan mumbles next to him, not really sure what's happening. Junhui doesn't have to say anything for Jeonghan to know that he's upset. "We've got to get a good night's sleep for work tomorrow. Manager-nim will look after Minghao, okay?"

Junhui is frozen in disbelief, which their manager sees as a good opportunity to steal Minghao from his grasp, Junhui's hands dropping onto his own lap. He watches the two of them leave, Minghao stumbling over his own feet. More tears roll down his cheeks and his chest starts heaving- it's getting harder and harder to breathe.

He doesn't want Minghao to be on his own. Junhui doesn't want to be on his own. If Junhui's alone, how will he know that Minghao's okay? How will he know that Minghao's safe? _What if something happens and he's not there? What if Minghao's scared or upset or lonely and Junhui isn't there to comfort him? What then?_

"Jun! Junnie!" Seungcheol snaps him out of his thoughts, waving a hand in front of his face to get his attention. Seungcheol is blurry, though, just a messy blob of colour. Junhui ignores the blob trying to talk to him, curling in on himself instead. His chest hurts.

Junhui doesn't see Jeonghan leave the room, but he does, coming back with a sleepy Soonyoung in tow. "Oh no bug, come here." Soonyoung coos, easily pulling Junhui into his arms. Jun melts against him, hiding his face in Soonyoung's chest and rocking them both with the force of his sobs. Soonyoung kisses his head and rubs his back, whispering reassurances into his hair.

"It's okay, baby boy. He's going to be okay. I know you're worried, but I promise you don't need to be. If anything happens, manager-nim will tell us right away. Trust us, Junnie-bug." Junhui just keeps crying. He's thinking all irrationally, his brain telling him that he's never going to see Minghao again- he's going to walk into the hospital and never come out again. There's no evidence to say he's wrong, because Minghao isn't in his sight anymore, which means anything could happen. And that's terrifying. Junhui's scared.

"I'm scared." Jun chokes out- Soonyoung holds him tighter. As he nods, he nestles his nose in Junhui’s hair.

"I know, Junnie. I know you are." Trying to avoid the furniture, Soonyoung walks Jun backwards, rounding the sofa so that they can get to the armchair. Soonyoung sits down and pulls Junhui onto his lap, Jun's back pressed to his chest. He rubs his hands over Junhui's sternum and nuzzles at the back of his neck, mumbling, "breathe, Junnie, breathe with me."

Seungcheol and Jeonghan watch from the other side of the room as Junhui struggles to match his breathing to Soonyoung's. Whenever he chokes on an exhale or coughs instead of inhaling, Soonyoung kisses his head and convinces him to keep trying. _“Try again, little bug, we can do this.”_ Jeonghan can't help but smile- Soonyoung's so good with him, he knows exactly what to do, exactly what to say.

Eventually, they succeed, Jun slouching in Soonyoung's hold, almost falling to the side before Soonyoung catches him with a grin. "Hey, Jun-Jun, stay here please." He says in a stupid voice, making Junhui giggle tiredly. Soonyoung laughs as well, pressing their smiling mouths together in a kiss. "Stay here." He whispers against Jun's lips. Junhui nods.

Relieved to see that Jun’s calmer, Jeonghan and Seungcheol sit down on the coffee table facing the pair. Seungcheol pulls his phone from his pocket when it vibrates. "They just got to accident and emergency." He says, snorting with amusement when another message comes through. "Look at this, Junnie." He says before turning his phone around, Jun blinking his eyes clear to focus on the screen.

_Manager-Nim sent a photo_

**Manager-Nim**

Someone's tired.

The picture is of Minghao fast asleep, head propped up on their manager's shoulder. Junhui reaches for Seungcheol's phone and pulls it towards himself. He coos over the photo- he looks so cute, his long lashes splayed out on his cheekbones, his lips pulled into a pout, his cheek squished against their manager's jumper. "My baby," Jun says, the other three grinning fondly at the adorable expression of awe on his face.

He melts even more when another text appears on the screen.

_Manager-Nim sent a photo_

**Manager-Nim**

He's already charmed the nurses. Now he has a blanket.

 

*

 

Junhui's bouncing on the balls of his feet, waiting next to the front door the following morning. He's waiting for Seungcheol- they're going to the hospital to pick Minghao up. Seungcheol laughs when he sees him, ruffling his hair and grabbing the car keys. "You got his clothes?" Seungcheol asks, Junhui lifting the bag in his hand as an answer.

He's very tempted to pull on Seungcheol's sleeve to get him out the door, but he resists- he's not that much of a child.

"Come on then." It's a half an hour drive to the hospital and Junhui's knee is jerking up and down the whole time. He's so ready to have Minghao in his arms again. Last night was tough, laying in bed between Soonyoung and Chan, not knowing how Minghao was doing. He'd been exhausted, but he hadn't slept a wink. They really should have gone to practice, but their manager had relented when Seungcheol told him how upset Junhui had gotten after Minghao had left.

Their manager meets them outside the hospital, walking with them up to Minghao's room. "How is he?" Jun asks immediately.

"Better, coherent at least. He has an ear infection, so he's got medicine to take. He'll have to take the rest of the week off, then we'll see how he is." Seungcheol nods along, mentally storing everything away, restructuring the map of everyone's schedules in his head.

"But he's okay?" Junhui repeats.

"Yeah, he's okay." The sigh Jun lets out almost blows Seungcheol over.

Minghao's lying in bed when they get to his room, head tilted to the side to watch the view from his window. He's paler than normal and looks miserable, but at least he's awake- at least he's still breathing. He turns to look at the door when it opens, breaking into a wide smile when he spots Junhui, lifting his arms to beckon the elder forward.

Junhui runs to him, bending in half to pull him into a hug, practically crushing the poor boy against his chest. He whispers against Minghao's hair between the kisses he's pressing wherever his lips can reach. "You scared me so much. I love you. Are you okay? How are you feeling? God, I love you so much." He's rambling, but Minghao doesn't complain, content to be held in Junhui's arms and coddled over.

"I love you too." Minghao manages to squeeze in around Junhui's frantic conversation- his voice is hoarse and unused. Junhui pulls away, just enough to look down at his face, matching grins. Seungcheol and their manager look away when they kiss, feeling like they're intruding on an intimate moment. They only break apart when the door opens again, a nurse entering the room.

As they unhook Minghao from his drip, they go over what they need to know. Jun stays glued to Minghao's side. "He has to take the antibiotics twice a day, with food. Ear drops before bed. Plenty of water, plenty of rest- that means no work. If he starts vomiting again, you'll have to bring him back in, we need him to keep down the medicine. Any questions?" They all shake their heads. "Alright. He's free to go, then. Let one of us know if you need anything else."

They all thank them, bowing politely. Seungcheol finally approaches Minghao, squeezing his shoulder and ruffling his hair. "How are you doing, kid?" He asks- Minghao rolls his eyes at the nickname but doesn't argue.

"I want to go home."

"We'll get you home," Seungcheol reassures him, leaning down to kiss the crown of his head. "Junhui brought you some clothes- after you change we can get you down to the car, okay?" Minghao nods and smiles gratefully.

"I'll help you," Junhui says, wrapping an arm around Minghao's waist when he kicks his legs over the side of the bed, walking with him to the bathroom. Minghao rests his head on Junhui's shoulder. He is feeling better, but he's still exhausted- the antibiotics make him drowsy. He just wants to curl up in bed with his boyfriend.

As soon as he locks the door behind them, Junhui is wrapping Minghao up in another hug, his face hidden in the younger boy's shoulder. He rests his hands in the dip of Minghao's back, Minghao's palms laying flat over his shoulder blades. "I missed you." Jun whispers, lips dragging over the skin of Minghao's neck, making him shiver.

"I missed you too," Minghao replies. "I'm sorry I worried you so much."

"You don't need to apologise. It's not your fault." Minghao snuggles closer, tucking his nose against the line of Junhui's throat, feeling Jun's heart beat rhythmically against his chest.

"I should be changing." Minghao reminds him, but Jun just whines impatiently, his grip on the younger not wavering in the slightest.

"Let me hold you for a little bit longer." He says, and Minghao can't do anything to disagree- he would let Jun hold him for forever if he could.

**Author's Note:**

> mmmh i wish i'd done this better. truth be told, i was so hyped for this prompt and then i got halfway through writing it and lost all motivation. it's been a struggle to finish it. i just came back to uni for second semester and the workload is already kicking my butt, so i just don't have the time that i did over christmas. which is sad because i really enjoyed how much i was able to write over the last few weeks. nevermind, though.
> 
> hope you liked <3
> 
>  
> 
> [my tumblr](https://hattieie.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> requested by happy 2019!! (happy 2019 to you too)


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